Why Is Everybody Always Picking On Me? by Brendan Conboy

Over the past two weeks, three so-called “book clubs” have appeared in my inbox. Each one claimed to have thousands of eager readers, all genuinely interested in my books.

Each email provoked a different reaction.

The first message didn’t mention any of my titles. Considering I have nearly twenty books published, that should have raised a red flag immediately—but it didn’t. Instead, I replied with a simple question: “Are your readers interested in sci-fi fantasy?”

The answer, unsurprisingly, was an enthusiastic yes. I was invited to send a PDF of my book and pay a small fee in exchange for the possibility that some members might leave reviews. I politely declined. I don’t pay for reviews—full stop.

Next came Patrick. He was more convincing. He referenced a specific title, Strangest Christian Myths Squished, and even mentioned my background in youth work. That detail almost won me over; it suggested he’d done his homework. He assured me participation was “completely free of charge,” though they did request a “small encouragement fee.” Curious, I asked what that meant. The answer came, “$99.”

Again, I declined. It wasn’t just the money—something felt off. Why the sudden flurry of interest? Why was the same structure behind each offer?

Then Sandra arrived in my inbox. She had chosen The Book of Psalms in Rhyme. Her email read like a glowing five-star review. It was beautifully written, warm, affirming—the kind of praise that makes your heart lift just a little.

And then, right on cue, came the pivot. She, too, represented a book club with thousands of members. Participation was “free.” All that was required was a small donation—$149 this time—in exchange for reviews.

That’s when I smelt a rat.

The tone, the rhythm, the suspicious similarities—they felt manufactured. I began to suspect AI-generated flattery designed to soften me up before the pitch. So, I copied Patrick’s and Sandra’s messages and asked ChatGPT whether they had the hallmarks of AI writing.

It confirmed my suspicions.

I played along—responding with AI-generated replies. Fighting deception with deception. They each responded with similar. I considered responding again with AI, just to see how long the charade would continue. The cycle could have continued indefinitely: bot to bot, illusion to illusion.

Instead, I chose the simplest response of all.

Silence.

I ignored the emails, shook my head, giggled and wrote this blog instead.

Brendan Conboy aka Half Man Half Poet, is the author of 16 published books, including two fascinating autobiographies, The Golden Thread and I'm Still VALUED.  In 1986, Brendan invited Jesus into his life, and God blessed him with the gift of rhyming words.  He used that gift as a Christian Rap artist for 25 years and has written 6 poetry books, including the entire Book of Psalms in Rhyme.  He has 3 published novels - Issues, Invasion of the Mimics and Legacy of the Mimics.  He is the creator of Book Blest.